Technology
 

Microsoft shares spotlight with WSO2 Open Source SOA company

WSO2, the open source SOA company, joined software giant Microsoft to demonstrate how the WSO2 platform can mediate between the three major development paradigms - NET, Java and C based platforms such as PHP and Ruby - to provide seamless interoperability based on Web services.

The first initiative, demonstrating the breadth of interoperability was highlighted at Microsoft TechEd North America 2008, the IT Professionals conference. It was presented by Bob Muglia, the senior vice president of the Server and Tools Business at Microsoft in the keynote presentation.

During the keynote, the StockTrader 2.0 demo composite application service, based on the NET Configuration Service 2.0 and distributed Apache/WSO2 middleware components, showed how interoperable implementations of Web service protocols allow a seamless mix-and-match of the application's components.

"Halfway through our presentation it hit me. We're at a major Microsoft keynote and we're a completely open source company," said Jonathan Marsh, Director Mashup Technologies at WSO2, "We're standing here, we are side-by-side with the world's largest maker of proprietary software, showing how these two major industry forces can work together. I can't remember the last time I saw that.

It was very rewarding", he said. While TechEd was held last month in Orlando, Florida, at last week's OSCON 2008 Open Source Convention held in Portland, Oregon, a co-branded booth featured the new StockTrader 2.0 that highlighted NET interoperability with Ruby, Spring and Perl in addition to the interoperability with PHP and Java showcased earlier.

StockTrader 2.0 is the result of a mutual effort between WSO2 and Microsoft to provide a reference application for software architects and developers implementing today's heterogeneous SOAs.

It demonstrates the several ways in which they can create composite Web services by bridging Microsoft NET-based applications to other environments using WSO2's integrated, heterogeneous SOA platform.

"A top priority is delivering interoperable solutions that enable our customers to harness the many resources and processes powering the enterprise," said Burley Kawasaki, director of the Connected Systems Division at Microsoft.

"The interoperability between WSO2's middleware and NET builds upon the investments that Microsoft has made with Windows Communication Foundation and will further extend the reach of SOAs across legacy and emerging platforms, providing a new level of Web services-enabled integration and collaboration for our customers."

The WSO2 collaboration with Microsoft enables NET Framework customers to utilise the enterprise-class performance and management of WSO2's SOA middleware based on Apache open source projects.

WSO2 is one of the leading contributors to Apache, with the firm's engineers equally dedicating their efforts to WSO2 Web services products and related Apache projects. In addition the company didn't need to make an extra effort and develop any custom protocol code to make these things work together.

IFS connecting 390 branches of Singer Sri Lanka

largest ERP implementation:

By Gamini Warushamana
[email protected]

IFS is completing the largest ERP implementation in Sri Lanka connecting 390 branches of Singer Sri Lanka, Manager Consulting Services of IFS Poorna Bandara said. This is the largest ERP implementation of the IFS in Sri Lanka as the Singer branch network is the largest retail network that sells consumer durables in the country. It took two years to complete the implementation and IFS included 30 branches in the implementation process and this is a huge task, he said.

The IFS ERP application introduced to Singer consists of the following modules; retail and wholesale, finance, supply chain management, HR and maintenance and services together with specific extensions to Singer. This is a total solution for the entire retail and wholesale sector. The ERP extension of IFS is ideal for any business that has global operations.

Managing the inventory is the main issue for any retail business. The ERP solution should provide an actual picture of the inventory. In our solution it gives over stock and under stock situations at any given time online.

This makes the monitoring and control of the inventory easy and as a result the availability of goods to the consumers is improved.

The operation of the business can be seen from one location online. The online monitoring facility enables one to recognise who can do what and who can't do what in a business facilitating special promotions where necessary.

The Supply chain management module of the IFS ERP application has unique features, Bandara said. It streamlines the supply chain and the system defines routes. The route planning functionality indicates where the demand is and the system automatically decides on the orders to be delivered on a given route.

Standardisation of the business is another advantage that a business gets by the IFS ERP application. As the same system runs in every branch it makes each branch of the business an identical place.

Connecting a large number of branches via our ERP application adds values to any business. It opens the doors for new business lines such as payment of utility or credit card bills. This is a web based solution and it can be accessed through various devices such as mobile phones.

Bandara said that this ERP application enables Singer to manage Singer's global operation. With the success of the solution we expect to introduce it to Singer in the Asian region and our next targets are Pakistan, Bangladesh and Thailand.

After we complete this project it will be one of the largest ERP implementations in the region where over 1,000 branches are connected. The importance of this project is that it is totally handled by Sri Lankan software engineers at IFS Sri Lanka, Bandara said.

We are looking at the fast growing retail business in the Asian region and there is a 20% YoY growth in the sector. Our success in the implementation of the Singer project may open many more opportunities to us in the region, Bandara said.

Fujitsu to launch low-cost hand-held PCs in Asia

Fujitsu Ltd plans to launch low-cost hand-held PCs in Asia this fall, becoming the first Japanese maker to enter a market controlled by rivals such as Hewlett-Packard and Asustek Computer.

Fujitsu said it would price its hand-held PCs at $500 to $700 for sale in China, Hong Kong and Singapore, going after demand for portable PCs to complement a more powerful PC at home.

Fujitsu next plans to sell low-cost hand-held PCs in Japan by March 2010, but spokeswoman Miho Hirasawa said the company will proceed with caution at home. In Japan, a low-end PC would compete with mobile phones packed with TV-viewing and music-downloading functions and could cannibalise the market for Fujitsu's mobile phones.

Shares of Fujitsu ended the morning trade down 0.6 per cent at 784 yen, in line with the benchmark Nikkei average, which was down 0.6 per cent.

hsenid goes to Kandy

hSenid, an Application and Service provider for the Telecom, Financial and Enterprise markets worldwide recently went ahead with their latest venture by expanding their operations to Kandy.

hSenid opened their third local R&D centre and the fifth Global R&D centre. hSenid emerged as a pioneer in the IT industry by opening the Kandy branch with the ambition to develop Kandy as an IT hub for Sri Lanka.

Creating opportunities to develop IT specialists in the region has been a important goal of the company. hSenid has been providing the Peradeniya University for many years with an open source research laboratory and given guidance and support to students to develop their skills through hSenid's senior technical staff.

"hSenid is committed to support the development of Sri Lanka as one of the most advanced technological countries.

The developments that are happening are a clear indication to us that Sri Lankan talents have all the competencies and capabilities to compete at a global level. We also hope that many other companies will follow this trend and see the opportunities in Kandy and join us in this venture," said CEO hSenid Software International, Dinesh Saparamadu.

hSenid is currently carrying out its operations in the United States, Singapore, Malaysia, India, East Africa and Ireland with its main R&D centres in Colombo and in Kandy.

With the strength of over 350 highly skilled employees geared towards one common vision of providing quality software solutions was the foremost factor of reaching geographical borders.

Dinesh Saparamadu is the founder of hSenid Software International and one of the most successful entrepreneurs in the software industry today. From relatively humble beginnings in a small office in Sri Lanka, Saparamadu grew hSenid into an international force.

Raffles Solutions honoured again

Microsoft Dynamics President's Club recognises the top 5% of Microsoft Dynamics partners worldwide and honours their constant dedication to delivering solutions that meet their customers, unique needs, active pursuit of product and technological advancement and impressive sales performance.

Members of this partner club have demonstrated dedicated commitment and success in extending the Microsoft Dynamics platform to drive business advantages in companies worldwide.

The President's Club also measures customer satisfaction and the level of competence within the consulting group of the incumbent Microsoft Partner. This year, Raffles Solutions and Services, a Microsoft Gold Certified Partner, has again been honoured with this distinction along with the top worldwide Microsoft Dynamics Partners.

GM for Asia-Pacific, Raffles Solutions and Services, Inc., Bo Lundqvist said, "It is uplifting for us at Raffles Solutions to know that as an Asian and Sri Lankan consulting group, we have the distinction of global skills parity with the rest of the consulting groups in the US and Europe.

Most Koreans want tighter Internet controls

Eight out of 10 Koreans believe a real-name based Internet system is necessary and are concerned with lawlessness online. The Korea Legislation Research Institute under the Prime Minister's office released results of a survey on Koreans' views of law and order conducted by Gallup Korea of 3,000 adults on the occasion of the 60th Constitution Day.

Some 80 per cent accepted the need of real-name confirmation for online postings with 38.6 per cent saying it was "highly necessary" and 41.2 per cent "fairly necessary". One-fifth of respondents were negative, with 4 per cent saying 'not at all necessary' and 16 per cent "not very necessary".

Some 63 per cent said laws were not being observed in society, compared to 37 per cent who said otherwise. Some 34.3 per cent said observing the law is disadvantageous, 20 per cent said more people do not follow the law than those who do, and 14.5 per cent said this was troublesome.

However, an overwhelming 90.9 per cent claimed they themselves obeyed the law to the letter. Some 57 per cent agreed that bad laws are also laws and therefore should be observed, as against 43 per cent who did not. Most had a negative perception of the law, with 43.6 per cent calling it "authoritarian" and 32.6 percent "unfair". Only 14.2 per cent believed it was "democratic" and 8.9 per cent fair. On the controversial issue of giving extra benefits in society and college to men who served in the military, 79.5 agreed. Some 78.5 per cent agreed to allowing euthanasia.

On the death penalty, 69.6 per cent said it should be maintained. The month-long door-to-door survey that began in late April has a 95 per cent confidence rating and a margin of error of 1.8 per cent.([email protected])